You’re at a café, airport, motel, or client meeting.

You jump onto the free Wi-Fi, open your laptop or phone, and quickly check your emails. It feels harmless. Convenient, even. But this is one of the easiest ways for someone else to quietly get access to your webmail account.

Public Wi-Fi is, by its nature, shared. You have no idea who set it up, how it’s configured, or who else is connected to it. In many cases, you’re essentially shouting your information into a room full of strangers and hoping nobody is listening.

The biggest risk isn’t Hollywood-style hacking. It’s far simpler than that.

On unsecured or poorly secured Wi-Fi networks, it’s possible for someone else on the same network to intercept data as it moves between your device and the internet. If you log in to webmail, that can include usernames, passwords, session cookies, or login tokens. Once someone has those, they don’t need your password again – they can just walk straight in.

And email is the golden key.

If someone gets into your email, they can reset passwords for your website, social media, online banking, accounting software, and pretty much everything else you use. I’ve seen cases where attackers didn’t even change the password straight away. Instead, they quietly set up email forwarding rules so every message gets copied to them. The business owner has no idea until fake invoices start appearing or customers get strange replies.

What makes this worse is that webmail feels “safe”. It’s familiar. It’s something you do every day. But logging into email on public Wi-Fi is one of the highest-risk things you can do online.

So what should you do instead?

First, avoid logging into webmail on public Wi-Fi wherever possible. If it can wait until you’re on your home or office connection, wait.

If you absolutely must check email while you’re out, use mobile data instead of free Wi-Fi. Your phone’s 4G or 5G connection is far more secure than the average café network, even if the Wi-Fi has a password written on the wall.

Turn on two-factor authentication for your email. This means even if someone does get your password, they still can’t log in without a code from your phone. It’s one of the simplest and most effective security steps you can take.

Keep an eye on your email settings. Every now and then, check for strange forwarding addresses, filters you didn’t create, or login alerts you don’t recognise. These are often the first signs that something isn’t right.

Finally, remember this: convenience is usually the enemy of security. Public Wi-Fi is convenient, but it comes with strings attached. A few minutes of patience can save you weeks of clean-up, stress, and damage to your business reputation.

If you’re ever unsure whether your email or website setup is secure, ask. It’s much easier to lock the door properly than to deal with the mess after someone’s already walked in.

Got ten minutes? This one’s worth it.

AI tools are popping up everywhere at the moment, and for many small business owners they sit in the same mental category as “the website stuff” or “social media things” – useful, but a bit confusing.

One of the most common comments I hear is, “I tried AI, but it didn’t really give me what I wanted.”

In most cases, that’s not because the AI tool is bad. It’s because the prompt wasn’t clear enough.

Think of AI like a very fast, very capable assistant who doesn’t know your business unless you explain it. A good prompt is what turns a vague, generic answer into something genuinely useful for your website, social media, or marketing.

Here are the key elements that make up a successful AI prompt, and why each one matters.

1. Tell the AI who it is meant to be

This is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do. AI responds far better when it understands the role it’s playing.

For example, “Write a blog post” is vague. “You are a web developer who runs a solo business creating websites for regional small businesses” gives the AI a clear perspective. That context influences the language, the examples used, and the advice given.

For regional businesses, this matters because your challenges are very different from big-city businesses with marketing teams and large budgets.

2. Clearly define who the audience is

AI needs to know who it’s talking to. Are you speaking to business owners who aren’t very confident online? Local customers? Tradespeople? Retail shoppers?

When you specify the audience, the AI naturally adjusts its tone and complexity. Without this, you often end up with content that’s too technical or too generic to be useful.

3. Explain the goal, not just the task

Many prompts focus only on the task, not the outcome.

Instead of “Write a Facebook post about my business”, explain why you want it. For example, “Write a Facebook post that encourages locals to shop with us instead of travelling to Townsville.”

That goal shapes the message and keeps the content focused on what actually matters to your business.

4. Set the tone and style

Tone makes a huge difference. Friendly, conversational, professional, relaxed – these all produce very different results.

If you don’t specify tone, you’ll often get something that sounds stiff or corporate. For small regional businesses, a friendly, human tone usually works far better and feels more authentic.

5. Provide structure and boundaries

AI works best with clear limits. Word count, format, number of points, or even where the content will be used all help keep things on track.

For example, asking for a “600-word blog written in a numbered list” is far more effective than just asking for a blog post and hoping for the best.

6. Include any must-have details

If certain ideas are important to you, say so. Location, local loyalty, convenience, community involvement – AI won’t automatically know these matter unless you include them.

The more relevant context you provide, the less generic the output will be.

7. Expect to refine, not be perfect first time

Even good prompts can usually be improved. The real power of AI is that you can tweak the result instead of starting again.

Small follow-ups like “make this friendlier” or “simplify this explanation” often produce big improvements.

A full AI prompt example

Below is an example of a complete, well-structured AI prompt that a small business owner in a regional town could realistically use. It includes role, audience, purpose, tone, structure, and key details.

Once you start thinking about prompts this way, AI stops feeling hit-and-miss. Clear prompts give clear results, and that makes AI another useful tool in your kit – not just another confusing trend.

A bite-sized read you can knock over in 5 minutes.

For most small business owners, early January is one of the few times in the year when they can get a bit of headspace.

The phones aren’t ringing as much, the inbox is calmer, and you’re not constantly reacting. Used well, this quiet time can help your online presence support your business for the entire year ahead.

Here are five practical things you can do now to start 2026 on the right foot.

1. Map your business year before you touch your website

Before you update a single page or post anything online, step back and look at your year as a whole. Write down your busy periods, quiet months, local events, shutdowns, school holidays, and anything else that affects how you work.

Your website and social media should reflect this rhythm. If you know March and April are flat-out, you can ease off promotions then. If winter is quiet, that’s when your online presence can do more of the heavy lifting. Planning around your real-world schedule stops you wasting effort at the wrong times.

2. Decide what information your website should handle for you

A well-planned website reduces admin, not increases it. Think about the questions customers ask you over and over again throughout the year. Pricing expectations, service areas, lead times, booking processes, or “is this right for me?” queries.

Adding clear answers now means fewer phone calls, fewer emails, and better-quality enquiries later. This isn’t about adding more pages – it’s about making your existing content work harder, all year long.

3. Plan content in monthly chunks, not weekly stress

One of the biggest sources of frustration I see is the idea that businesses must constantly post on social media. You don’t.

Instead, plan one core theme per month. That’s it. January might be about getting organised. May could be about preparing for peak season. September might focus on maintenance or upgrades. This approach gives you structure without pressure and makes it far easier to stay consistent.

When you plan this way, social media becomes predictable and manageable instead of another job on the to-do list.

4. Create one strong piece of content that lasts all year

Rather than chasing short-term posts, aim to create one solid, evergreen piece of content early in the year. This could be a detailed FAQ page, a guide to your services, or a “what to expect when working with us” explanation.

Done well, this kind of content supports your business quietly in the background. It builds trust, saves time, and helps locals choose you over larger businesses in places like Townsville without you needing to constantly sell.

5. Set one clear goal for your online presence in 2026

Finally, decide what success looks like for you this year. More enquiries? Better-quality leads? Less time answering the same questions? Stronger local visibility?

Pick one goal and let it guide your decisions. When your website and social media are aligned with a clear outcome, everything you do online has a purpose. That’s when your online presence stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like a tool.

Starting the year strong doesn’t mean doing everything at once. It means planning once, early, and letting that planning guide you for the next twelve months. For regional businesses, a well-thought-out online presence can be one of the simplest ways to stay competitive, keep customers local, and make the year ahead far less stressful.

Grab a cuppa – this is a 5-minute read

For a lot of regional business owners, the festive break is the first real chance all year to put the tools down, lock the door, and breathe.

And you absolutely should do that. But here’s the thing many people don’t realise – your online presence doesn’t have to go on holidays just because you do.

In fact, the quiet days between Christmas and New Year are a perfect opportunity to set your website and social media up to work a little harder for you in the year ahead, without you being glued to a desk.

Here are a few simple, low-stress things you can do over the festive break that can make a real difference.

First up, give your website a quick health check. You don’t need to rebuild it or dive into anything technical. Just look at it like a customer would. Does it clearly say what you do, where you are, and how to contact you? Is your phone number easy to find on a mobile? Are your opening hours up to date, especially if they change over the holidays? A surprising number of sites still show old hours or outdated messages, and that’s an easy win to fix.

While you’re there, read a few pages as if you’ve never seen the site before. If something feels confusing or outdated to you, it probably does to your customers too. Make a short list of things you might want to improve in the new year. You don’t have to act on it immediately – just getting it out of your head and onto paper is valuable.

Next, think about your Google Business Profile. This is huge for regional businesses. If someone in town searches for what you offer, this is often the first thing they see. Over the break, you can update holiday hours, add a short post saying when you reopen, or upload a couple of recent photos. Even a quick “Thanks for a great year, see you in January” post helps show that your business is active and cared for.

Social media is another area where a little planning goes a long way. You don’t need to post every day. One or two scheduled posts over a week is plenty. It could be a friendly end-of-year message, a behind-the-scenes photo, or a reminder of what you offer can keep you visible without being salesy. Most platforms let you schedule posts in advance, so you can set it and forget it.

This is also a great time to think about your local customers. People often assume that being in regional QLD means competing with bigger centres like Townsville is a lost cause. It’s not. Your online presence can remind locals that they don’t have to travel for everything. A simple post or website update that highlights convenience, local knowledge, or personalised service can be very powerful.

Another easy win is collecting ideas. Over the year, you’ve probably had customers ask the same questions again and again. Write them down. These make perfect website content or social posts later on. A simple FAQ page or a few short blog posts answering common questions can save you time and build trust at the same time.

Whether you sell products or take bookings online, check that everything is still working smoothly. Test a contact form. Make sure links go where they should. Little issues often go unnoticed during busy periods, and the break is a calmer time to spot them.

Finally, don’t underestimate the value of planning. You don’t need a full marketing strategy. Just think about what you’d like more of next year – more enquiries, more local customers, more online sales. Your website and social media should support that goal, not just exist because “you’re supposed to have them”.

The festive break isn’t about working harder. It’s about setting things up so your online presence quietly does some of the work for you while you enjoy a well-earned rest. And when you reopen in the new year, you’ll be glad you did.

A lot of people launch a website thinking the hard work is done.

But just like a shopfront on the main street, your website needs a little attention now and then to keep doing its job properly.

Here are five things many business owners don’t realise about owning a website – and knowing them can save you time, money and a few headaches down the road.

1. A Website Is Never Truly “Finished”

This surprises a lot of people. You might think once the site is live, you can forget about it for a year or two. But your customers don’t stand still – your website shouldn’t either.

New product photos, updated trading hours, changed services, staff updates, seasonal promotions… these all need a refresh online. Even small updates send a signal to Google (and your customers) that your business is active and paying attention.

2. Google Prefers Sites That Stay Active

Search engines want to show people the most relevant, up-to-date businesses. If your site hasn’t been touched in years, Google notices.

Even doing a few small things like:

• Updating your homepage content
• Refreshing images
• Adding a new service
• Checking your SEO titles

…can help keep your site in Google’s good books. Regular activity equals better visibility.

3. Security Updates Aren’t Optional

Here’s a big one. WordPress, plugins and themes aren’t just updated for fun – those updates often patch security holes. Hackers don’t target you personally; they scan the internet looking for outdated software they know how to exploit.

Keeping everything updated reduces the risk of malware, spam injections and downtime. It also keeps your hosting company much happier!

4. Your Website Speed Directly Affects Sales

Slow sites turn customers away fast, especially on mobile. If it takes more than three seconds to load, most people simply tap away.

The usual culprits are:

• Cheap, under-powered hosting
• Huge unoptimised images
• Too many unnecessary plugins

A fast site isn’t just nicer to use – it actually increases conversions, phone calls and bookings.

5. Social Media Isn’t Enough – You Need a Home Base

Facebook and Instagram are great tools, but you don’t own them. Your page can be restricted, shut down or lost without warning. Your website is the one place online that is fully yours: your brand, your rules, your content.

A well-maintained website gives you stability, professionalism and a reliable home base for all your marketing. Social media drives people in, but your website is where they make decisions.

Owning a website isn’t complicated, but it does require a little attention. Think of it like checking the oil in your car or giving the shopfront a quick tidy – small, regular care keeps everything running smoothly.

If you want help keeping your site fast, secure and working for your business, I’m always happy to chat over a coffee.

So, your website is sitting comfortably on page one of Google.

You’ve done the hard yards, ticked all the SEO boxes, and your ranking is looking as pretty as a flathead fillet on a Friday night. And yet… the traffic is slower than a tinny with a half-flat battery. If you’ve ever wondered why your shiny, well-ranked website isn’t reeling in the hordes, here’s the truth: the search engine isn’t the whole ocean. It’s just one fishing spot. And sometimes, the fish are biting somewhere else.

This is where social media comes in – the bait, the burley, the flashy lure that gets even the fussiest snapper to turn its head.

Facebook – The Easy Bait

Think of Facebook as the old reliable bait you chuck in the water when nothing else is working. It’s the pilchard of the digital world. Not glamorous, but it gets the job done.

Your potential clients are scrolling Facebook while waiting for coffee, pretending to work, or trying to avoid eye contact in the doctor’s waiting room. They’re relaxed, distracted, and primed to nibble.

Post regularly. Share your latest offers, quick tips, behind-the-scenes updates – anything that gets a bite. Include a link back to your website every time. That link is your hook. The post is just the shiny thing that gets them swimming your way.

And don’t be shy about boosting posts. For the price of a servo pie, Facebook will drop your bait right in front of people who would never have found you through Google alone.

Instagram – The Shiny Lure

If Facebook is pilchard, Instagram is the soft plastic lure with the glittery tail. It’s colourful, it’s eye-catching, and it needs to look good to work.

Your audience on Instagram is a bit like coral trout – they go for the pretty things. So give them something worth biting. High-quality photos of your work, graphics, short videos, stories – make it slick, make it sharp, make it irresistible.

But here’s the trick: don’t let Instagram become a dead-end. Every pretty picture should point back to your website. Add the link to your bio, use stickers in Stories, and tell people outright – “Want more? Hit the website.” You’re not just showing off your lure; you’re guiding them straight into the esky.

LinkedIn – The Big-Game Rod

LinkedIn is where you gear up for the bigger fish. The serious ones. The kind that read business articles for fun and use words like “leverage” without irony.

This platform isn’t about glossy photos – it’s about authority. Expertise. You showing the world that you know your stuff better than a barra knows how to dodge a hook.

Write posts about your industry. Share your wins. Explain things your clients don’t understand yet. Comment on other people’s posts like a calm, confident pro. Every action tells people you’re the person they should trust.

And once again, steer them back to your website. LinkedIn users don’t bite quickly, but when they do, they’re often the fattest fish in the river.

Social Media Isn’t Optional – It’s the Burley Trail

Many business owners say, “But I already have good Google rankings.” Yes, fantastic. But ranking alone won’t fill the boat. People won’t always search for what you do. Sometimes they need a nudge, a reminder, a shiny thing drifting past their nose.

Social media is how you scatter that burley trail across the water. It keeps your brand visible. It nudges people back to your website. And, best of all, it works even when you’re not posting SEO-friendly paragraphs about meta descriptions and schema markup.

Think of your website as the landing net. It’s where the catch ends up. But social media – that’s the bait, the lures, and the scent trail that gets them close enough to scoop.

Time to Reel Them In

If your website isn’t getting the traffic it deserves, stop treating social media like an optional extra. It’s not. It’s part of the fishing kit.

Treat each platform like a different lure, throw your line often, keep the bait fresh, and always – ALWAYS – point everything back to your website.

Do that, and you won’t just get nibbles. You’ll be hauling in clients like it’s peak barra season.

A lot of people come to me excited about launching a new website, and that’s great — a website is one of the best tools a small business can have.

But one thing I always remind new site owners is this: a website isn’t a “set and forget” job. It needs attention, updates, and a bit of ongoing care if you want it to work for your business rather than just sit there.

Think of it like a shopfront. If you opened a physical shop, you wouldn’t unlock it on day one and then never check it again. You’d tidy it, refresh it, update your products, change your signage, and sweep the front step every now and then. Your website deserves the same kind of regular effort.

The good news? It doesn’t need to take hours out of your week. With small, consistent actions, you can keep your site looking sharp, performing well, and actually helping you bring in customers.

Simple Ways to Keep Your Website Working for You

Here are a few things every business owner can do:

Update your content regularly

Add new photos, refresh product descriptions, update your services, and keep your opening hours current. Fresh, accurate content builds trust and tells Google your site is alive.

Check your contact points

Make sure your forms work, your phone number is correct, your inbox isn’t full, and your social links still go where they should.

Keep an eye on your reviews

Google Business Profile reviews can influence someone’s decision before they even visit your website. Responding to them shows you’re active and paying attention.

Look at your site on your phone

Most visitors come from mobile. A quick monthly check helps you catch issues like overlapping text, slow loading, or broken layouts.

Share your website

Your website shouldn’t do all the work alone. Link to it in social posts, emails, newsletters, business cards, signage, and anywhere else people interact with your brand.

Ask for help when needed

If something looks odd, breaks, or doesn’t feel right, reach out. A quick check from your web developer can prevent a bigger problem later.

A good website is a partnership. I can build the foundation, the structure, and all the behind-the-scenes systems, but your involvement keeps it relevant and genuine.

With a little regular attention, your website will stay fresh, functional, and ready to work just as hard as you do.

There are many questions in life that make you stop and think.

“Does pineapple belong on pizza?”, “Why does the dog bark at absolutely nothing at 3am?” and “Why do people think that daylight saving gives them more daylight?” But none of them – not one – comes close to the raw, world-saving power of the greatest question any human has ever asked:

“Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

This one sentence has solved more problems than any government agency, guidance counsellor, or motivational quote slapped onto a sandy beach background. Honestly, if we carved it into a monument and stuck it next to the pyramids, future archaeologists would nod politely and say, “Yeah, fair enough.”

So why does it work? Why does this magical phrase fix everything from a misbehaving laptop to a phone that has clearly been possessed by the devil?

Let’s break it down.

First, computers – like humans – get overwhelmed. They have too many things open at once, they’re running processes you didn’t ask for, and half the time they’re trying to update themselves while you’re in the middle of something important. It’s like dealing with someone who hasn’t slept properly since 2008. A reboot gives them what we refuse to give ourselves: a full system reset and a fresh start. You push the button, it sighs, shuts its eyes and wakes up pretending the last 24 hours never happened.

Second, the “off and on again” manoeuvre is sheer genius because it requires absolutely no technical knowledge whatsoever. You don’t need to open the command prompt. You don’t need to chant an incantation. You certainly don’t need to unplug something from one mysterious port and jam it into another. You simply turn the thing off, wait a moment, turn it on, and suddenly you’ve gone from “helpless victim of modern technology” to “wizard of the digital realm.”

Third, and this is the important bit, it works embarrassingly often. And by “often”, I mean “far more often than it should in a rational universe.” Engineers with advanced degrees built these machines. People who understand physics, electronics and some of the mysteries of the universe crafted them… yet all it takes to defeat them is what is essentially the IT equivalent of a nap.

You could be on the brink of hurling your device into the nearest bin. It won’t print, it won’t load, it won’t behave. You’ve clicked everything. You’ve sworn at it. You’ve stared at it threateningly. And then someone wanders by and asks, with all the calmness of a Tibetan monk, “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

So you do it.

And it works.

And you quietly curse them under your breath for being right.

But here’s the real secret behind the question’s power. It’s not just about fixing technology. “Off and on again” is a philosophy. A lifestyle. A way of dealing with everything that’s teetering on the edge of total chaos. Having a bad day? Try a Restart. Too many tabs open in your brain? Restart. Accidentally sent an email meant for your wife to a client? Well… still restart, but maybe also apologise.

If only everything else in life came with a big glowing “Restart” button, the world would be a calmer, saner place. Until then, keep using the greatest question ever asked. And if something’s still not working after that?

Well, then it’s properly broken.

That’s when you call someone else.

When visitors land on your website, they make a snap judgement – usually in the first few seconds.

Before they’ve read a word, they’ve already formed an opinion about your business. The biggest factor in that first impression? Your imagery.

Photos have power. They tell your story faster than text ever can. And while it’s tempting to grab a few stock images and call it a day, real, personal photos of you and your business connect far more deeply with your audience.

Real Photos Build Trust

People like to know who they’re dealing with. If you’re a small business on the Tropical Coast, your customers probably live nearby. They want to see your shopfront, your staff, your ute, your products – not some polished stranger from a photo library.

When your photos are genuine, visitors can picture themselves doing business with you. That sense of trust and familiarity is impossible to achieve with stock imagery. A real photo of you smiling behind the counter will always beat a glossy model pretending to do the same.

Keep It On Brand

Your website photos should match your brand’s personality. A laid-back café might use bright, natural shots with warm tones. A professional service, like an accountant or consultant, might prefer clean, evenly lit images with crisp lines.

Before uploading, ask yourself: Does this image look like my business? If not, it’s out of place. Think about your colours too. If your website features cool blues and whites, a photo with a bright orange wall behind you might clash visually. Consistency keeps your site looking polished and intentional.

If you’re unsure, create a quick “style guide” for yourself – note your main brand colours, a few descriptive words for your vibe (e.g. “friendly”, “professional”, “local”), and use that as a filter for every photo you add.

Why Stock Photos Often Miss the Mark

Stock photography is everywhere, and visitors know it when they see it. The problem isn’t just that it’s generic – it’s that it feels impersonal.

When everyone in your industry is using the same library images, your brand disappears into the crowd. Worse still, many stock models appear on hundreds of websites around the world. You don’t want the same “handshake photo” or “smiling call centre worker” that your competitors use.

By showing real people, real locations, and real moments, you make your website unmistakably yours.

Taking Great Photos with Your Phone

You don’t need expensive gear to create beautiful, authentic images. Modern smartphones can capture excellent photos – you just need a bit of planning and an eye for detail.

Here are a few quick tips:

1. Orientation matters.
Before you take the shot, think about where it’ll go on your website. Landscape photos (wider than they are tall) work best for banners and sliders. Portrait shots are better for profile pages or social posts. Take both if you’re unsure – it’s always handy to have options.

2. Follow the rule of thirds.
Most phones have a grid option in the camera settings. Turn it on. Place your main subject where the grid lines intersect, rather than dead-centre. It makes the photo more balanced and pleasing to the eye.

3. Watch your lighting.
Natural light is your best friend. Try to shoot early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun is soft and golden. Avoid harsh midday light – it creates deep shadows and squinting faces. Indoors, stand near a window for even, flattering light.

4. Consider the weather.
If you’re photographing your business exterior or vehicles, pick a day with clear skies or interesting clouds. Overcast days are great too – they produce soft, even light without glare.

5. Keep it clean and focused.
Before snapping, tidy the scene. Remove clutter and distractions from the background so the viewer’s eye goes straight to the subject.

The Final Touch

Once you’ve got your shots, give them a quick edit – crop, straighten, and adjust brightness if needed. Then upload them at the right size for the web (so your site loads quickly).

Authentic imagery is one of the easiest ways to lift your website from “just another site” to something memorable and engaging. It’s worth the effort – because your visitors aren’t just looking at pictures. They’re deciding if they trust you.

Some people have started treating ChatGPT like it’s the oracle of all knowledge.

They think of it as Di Vinci, Wikipedia, and their Year 9 Science teacher all blended into one convenient search box. It can write emails for you, plan out your week, and even help you sound vaguely intelligent when you give business presentations.

I use AI all the time myself and have come to the realisation that by using it because it is at my fingertips, I am opting out my own brain – it makes things too easy. That’s got me thinking – if you let it do everything, what happens to your brain over time?

Will you eventually get to the point where you go from the guy  who “used to be really sharp” but now struggles to remember where the hell he put the remote for the TV.

Your brain needs to exercise

It needs to be trained, stretched, and occasionally challenged to keep it active. Leave it sitting around doing nothing like a teenager on TikTok and it goes flat. Thinking, reading, learning, memorising and writing are like the exercises you do at the gym but these ones are for your mind – keeping it limber and, most importantly, ready for whatever new challenge life might throw at you.

However, if you skip “brain day*” and outsource everything that is slightly challenging to ChatGPT, your brain will just sit there like a lump of uncooked cookie dough, waiting for someone else to preheat the oven.

* just like skipping “Leg day”…

Getting older? It helps to keep stirring the pot.

The older we get, we seem to think that we can coast on what we already know. But the brain, like an old pot of soup, needs stirring – or the good bits will sink to the bottom and the rest will go lumpy.

How do we stir the pot? Read new things. Learn a new skill. Argue with your friends about which decade had the best music. Join a theatre group (like I did 😊).  It doesn’t matter what you do, just as long as the activity you think! Numerous studies show that keeping your mind active helps delay cognitive decline. In plain English, it stops you from becoming that person who begin every sentence with, “Back in my day…”

AI never has and never will be human

ChatGPT can describe love, but it’s never experienced it. It can talk about fear, but it’s never had to open a rates notice from the Hinchinbrook Shire Council. It won’t get goosebumps with certain music from the 80’s and it definitely didn’t cry at the end of Toy Story 3 (admit it – you did).

But when YOU write or create something, you’re unconsciously mixing in all your lived experiences – your wins, your mistakes, your losses and your own peculiar way of seeing the world. That’s human. Ol’ ChatGPT can try to mimic it, but it’s like diet coke: sort of similar to the actual thing, but missing the real kick.

Try reading something by another human.

Scrolling through headlines, Reddit posts and AI summaries gives you the illusion of knowledge, but it’s all superficial. Real reading – the kind that makes you lose track of time –  forces your brain to connect ideas and build understanding. It’s mental weightlifting without the sweaty gym smell.

Help your brain by picking up a book, a newspaper, a magazine – anything with words longer than “lol.”

ChatGPT is a fantastic tool. Use it, enjoy it, learn from it. But remember that it is exactly that – a tool. Continue to do mental heavy lifting yourself – think, write, read, debate, question.

Because, in the end, your brain isn’t some dusty storage cupboard – it’s a unique marvel of the universe and the best piece of kit you’ll ever own. Keep it working, keep it curious, and for heaven’s sake, stop letting the bots have all the fun.

Footnote: I could’ve written this blog on ChatGPT in a fraction of the time it actually took me to type these words in. But, not only would that miss the whole point of the story, I always enjoy the challenge putting words to a page. It’s rewarding.